Got some rick-rack?

Make some of these..

Here's the size of rick-rack I'm using. It happens to be orange...so these could be artsy pumpkins, persimmons, or fantasy flowers. Do them in green for artichokes...turn the outside "leaves" down slightly, for cabbages. Do them in white, yellow, peach, pink, red....and you have flowers!

 Here's a close up of the finished back.

 The longer the piece of rick-rack...the larger the flower. A 16" long piece makes a flower about the size of a thread bobbin. A 9" long piece made the two smaller flowers at the bottom of this photo...

Cut your piece of rick-rack and fold it in half. Pinch the folded end in one hand (I use my left), and start to"fit" the rick-rack together with your opposite hand. Making this always makes me think of those "scissors" exercises in gym class..."open the legs wide...now close...now open...now close". The difference is that I'm crossing one rick-rack "let" in front of the other. So...OPEN the rick-rack wide...then slightly wiggle the rick-rack as you CLOSE the rick-rack "blades" with the left piece of rick-rack on top. Then repeat, only this time with the right piece of rick-rack being on top. Repeat...until you reach the end.

 The end result will want to twist...but that's not a problem. If you can MAKE it lay flat on the table...without any twists...then it is correct.

Now, trim the raw edges end slightly. Start rolling from that end, and keep the flower as tight as possible.

 Once you have rolled the entire length...take your needle/thread and make a few anchoring stitches to hold everything together. You can also stitch the folded edge down or let it be slightly open. Try folding down some of the "petals" and see if you like that look too!